A fortress is a small residential clan area, similar to a clan hall. It can be acquired by winning a fortress siege. Depending on their locations, fortresses are either border or territory fortresses, and are large or small.

Small fortresses include the following:

Aaru Fortress - Border

Archaic Fortress

Demon Fortress - Border

Dragonspine Fortress -Border

Hive Fortress

Ivory Fortress

Monastic Fortress - Border

Narsell Fortress

Shanty Fortress

Tanor Fortress - Border

White Sands Fortress

Large fortresses include the following:

Antharas’ Fortress - Border

Bayou Fortress

Borderland Fortress

Cloud Mountain Fortress - Border

Floran Fortress - Border

Hunter’s Fortress - Border

Marshland Fortress

Southern Fortress

Valley Fortress

Western Fortress - Border

One or two fortresses are located in each territory. They can choose to be politically involved with, or independant from, the castle(s) in that territory.

Fortress Rules

Simlar to clan halls, fortresses serve as a clan residence. A clan that owns a fortress can register to siege castles and other fortresses, and can claim ownership of them if they win. In this case, their existing fortress becomes inhabited and controlled by NPCs.

One clan can own either a castle or a fortress (but not both). A clan that owns a castle or the fortress may also own a clan hall at the same time.

A clan that owns a fortress can establish a political connection with the clan that owns the castle in that territory.

A Blood Oath can be obtained through the occupation of a fortress. The Blood Oath can raise the clan’s reputation and level by nine levels.

While a clan’s fortress is under a siege, the clan cannot acquire any ownership of other fortresses, even if they capture another fortress’s flag.

Fortress status can be viewed on Mini-Map (Alt+M). Border fortresses are indicated by a red flag and territory fortresses are indicated by blue flag.

Sieges

A fortress siege lasts for one hour, and can occur as often as every four hours, for 24 hours a day.

If the Combat Flag is raised on a flag pole, the fortress siege ends.

A fortress siege begins 60 minutes after the siege is first initiated (via sign-ups).

Siege Rules

General fortress siege rules are similar to castle siege rules. Participants are classified into three groups: friendly party, enemy party, and nonpartisan.

For attackers, the alliance and the clan members are classified as part of the friendly party. All other members that signed up for the siege are classified as part of the nonpartisan group.

Once a fortress siege starts, defenders are indicated by a shield icon over their head, while attackers has are indicated by a sword icon.

Players can attack enemies and nonpartisan without holding down the Control Key. Attacking friendly members is not allowed.

Siege Registration

The fortress siege registration procedure is similar to castle siege registration. A clan that is level 4 or higher can sign up to siege a fortress by talking to the Suspicious Merchant NPC near that fortress.

The first clan that signs up to siege a fortress must pay a participation fee. Once this fee is paid, any other clans that wish to participate in the siege do not have to pay the participation fee.

After the participation fee is paid, all other clans that wish to participate have 50 minutes to sign up.

The siege registration can be canceled within 50 minutes of the initial siege sign-up.

Once the 50-minute time period for sign-ups has elapsed, the Suspicious Merchant will disappear. A 10-minute countdown will begin, after which the fortress siege will start.

If the fortress under siege is owned by a clan, that clan is automatically registered as defenders.

Siege Beginning

When a fortress siege begins, the area around the fortress will change to a combat field.

Registered clans can establish a headquarters on that combat field.

When the siege begins, all fortress doors close and designated guard NPCs are placed.

If a fortress is owned by a clan, the level of the guard NPCs and various defending functions are affected by the Fortress Defense Level. Also, a Mercenary Captain NPC will appear outside the fortress. This NPC must be protected by the attacking clans.

Siege Process

There are three to five NPC camps (depending on the fortress size) located inside the fortress. The Command Camp is located in the center of the fortress.

If all of the camps are captured within 10 minutes of capturing the first camp, the Command Camp’s door will automatically open.

To capture a camp, you must kill each camp’s Commander NPC, and you must shut off the power in the Control Room (in a large fortress).

A clan can use Ballista Bombs to destroy the ballista inside the fortress; destroying ballistas will gain the attacking clan a certain amount of clan reputation.

After the capture of the first camp, if the attackers fail to capture the other camps within 10 minutes, each camp's Commander NPC will reappear and the players must kill the Commander NPCs all over again.

If all the camps are successfully captured within the time limit, the door of the Command Camp will open and the Combat Flags will appear inside of the camp.

If the fortress is owned by a clan, the Mercenary Captain must survive until all the camps are successfully captured in order for the Combat Flags to appear. A total of three Combat Flags will appear.

When a player acquires one of the Combat Flags, it is automatically equipped. If a character who is holding a flag dies, that flag will be returned to its original location.

Once players acquire the Combat Flags, their speed and various combat stats will be reduced. They will also automatically receive an active skill that allows them to place the Combat Flag in the flag pole.

The flag pole is located at the top of the Command Camp. If the clan succeeds to raise the Combat Flag by using the Display Flag skill, that clan will win the siege and claim the fortress.

When a fortress is claimed, a Special Envoy from that territory’s castle will appear inside of the Command Camp.

For territory fortresses, only a Special Envoy from that territory’s castle appears. If the fortress is a border fortress, Special Envoys from all of the neighboring territory's castles will appear.

Once a clan gains ownership of a Territorial Fortress, the clan leader can choose to either swear fealty to that territory's castle or declare their independence.

A clan that claims ownership of a border fortress may only declare independence.

Control Room

In addition to placing Combat Flags, the other way to claim a fortress is to shut down the Control Room. Only large fortresses have a Control Room.

After shutting down all of the Sub Power Systems around the Control Room, a member with the Access Card can open the Control Room door.

The Access Card can be obtained from Dwarven Gunnery Sergeants around the Control Room.

The attempt to shut down a Sub Power System must be made when the system's HP is low.

Only Maestros and Warsmiths can shut down the Sub Power Systems.

A three-digit password is required to activate the controls in the Control Room.

Any class can enter a password, but Maestros and Warsmiths can find the password easier.

If an incorrect password is entered a certain number of times, the controls will be temporarily disabled.

Once all of the Sub Power System are shut down, and the main power has been shut off in the Control Room, the clan will claim the fortress.

Fortress Features

Recovery, teleport, and support magic features can be activated by talking to the Foreman NPC. The Clan Warehouse can also be accessed from this NPC.

Various items such as Shirts, Talismans, etc. can be purchased from the Supply Unit Captain. Also the Supply Unit Captain can teach the sub units skills.

Knight’s Epaulettes can be used to purchase Shirts, Bracelets, and Talismans from the Fortress Manager NPC.

Regardless of political status (sworn fealty or independence) of the fortress, the fortress-owning clan receives Clan Reputation Points from the Supply Unit Captain NPC proportional to the length of time they have owned the fortress.

If a fortress swears fealty to a castle, additional defense-related functions can be activated by talking to the Guard Captain NPC.

If a fortress swears fealty to a castle, the fortress-defending NPCs can be strengthened and supplies can be purchased from the Logistics Officer NPC.

Independent fortresses (those that have not sworn fealty to any castle) can enter an underground prison (instanced dungeon) by talking to the Detention Camp Warden NPC.

Political Activities

Nonpartisan State

At the time of victory, the Special Envoy NPC(s) will appear and wait up to one hour for the clan leader’s decision. During this waiting period, the fortress is considered to be in a nonpartisan state.

When a fortress is in a non-partisan state, the fortress defense-related features and instanced dungeon can not be used; however, some other features can be used and reputation benefits can be obtained from the Foreman NPC.

Independent State

A fortress will shift into an independent state when the fortress-owning clan leader decides to declare independence, or if no decision is made during the one hour that the Special Envoy NPC is present.

When a fortress is in an independent state, it is possible for a castle-owning clan in the same territory to register a siege upon that fortress.

Fortresses that are independant cannot upgrade the fortress defense features by speaking to the Guard Captain NPC.

When a fortress is independent, the ability to monitor the fortress defense status by speaking to the Logistics Officer NPC is restricted.

When a fortress is independent, supply items from the territory's castle will be unavailable (not earned).

An independent fortress can enter their Fortress Dungeon by speaking to the Detention Camp Warden.

Contracted State

A fortress enters a contracted state when the fortress-owning clan decides to swear fealty to the territory's castle by speaking to the Special Envoy NPC.

When a fortress becomes contracted, the fortress-owning clan must pay a tax to the territory's castle every six hours. The taxes are automatically deducted from the Clan Warehouse.

If the fortress-owning clan does not have enough Adena in their Clan Warehouse, the state of the fortress automatically switches from contracted to independant.

When a fortress is contracted, all of the fortress-management features can be used; however, entry into the instanced dungeon will be restricted.

When a fortress is contracted, the fortress-owning clan can receive supply items by speaking to the Logistics Officer NPC. The supply items level will be increased every six hours when taxes are paid.

For every supply item delivery, two Clan Reputation Points will be deducted from the castle-owning clan.

If the castle-owning clan’s Reputation Points drop below two points, the supply item level will stop increasing and the leader of the fortress-owning clan will be notified by the system message.

The supply items level can increase up to level six.

If the fortress-owning clan receives Supply Items from the Logistic Officer NPC, the supply items level resets to zero.

The castle-owning clan can use the instanced dungeon within their castle if there is a fortress in their territory that they are in a contracted state with.

Rewards

When a clan succeeds at taking over a fortress, that clan earns 100 Clan Reputation Points. Losing ownership of a fortress does not result in any loss of Clan Reputation Points.

Once a clan claims a fortress, the clan’s Reputation Level will increase every six hours. Also the “Blood Oath” can be obtained from the Logistics Officer NPC.

During a fortress siege, a Knight’s Epaulette can be obtained from a Defender NPC or a Commander NPC.

If “Blood Alliance", “Blood Oath”, or “Knights Epaulette” are taken to Clan Merchants, such as “Ilia” and “Hulia”, they can be traded for a certain amount of clan reputation points.

Residential Skill

A fortress owner obtains residential skills automatically.

Upon winning a fortress, two residential skills are automatically acquired, and for the Western Fortress a total of three residential skills can be obtained.

When a clan loses a fortress, the acquired residential skills will disappear.

Fortress Dungeon (Instanced Dungeon)

When a fortress is independent, the Warden NPC can grant access to the Fortress Dungeon. Regardless of political status (sworn fealty or independent), the Warden can also issue special Fortress Dungeon-related quests.

The Fortress Dungeon can be entered by a party consisting of more than two members. The entrance request must be made by the party leader.

The Fortress Dungeon can be entered every four hours and cannot be entered by more than one party at the same time.

If a character restarts or logs out inside of the Fortress Dungeon, that character is moved back out to the entrance NPC.

The Raid Bosses inside of the Fortress Dungeon will disappear if they are not attacked by the players within 10 minutes of entering the instanced dungeon.

If the Fortress Dungeon Raid Boss is successfully defeated, the party will receive the Dungeon Leader Mark item which then can be traded for a Knight’s Epaulettes.